Author: Matt Graham
Matt Graham
Matt was the editor of Australian Frequent Flyer from 2015 until 2025. His passion for travel has taken him to more than 100 countries - with a lot of help along the way from frequent flyer points! Matt's favourite destinations (so far) are Germany, Brazil, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. His interests include aviation, economics & foreign languages, and he has a soft spot for good food and red wine. You can connect with Matt by posting on the Australian Frequent Flyer community forum and tagging @Mattg.
Status Runs: Bridge a Status Credit Shortfall
What should you do if your Qantas Frequent Flyer membership year is coming to an end, and you’re just short of the required status credits to reach a higher status tier? One solution is to go on a “status run”. This is where a frequent flyer travels in order to earn status credits. The key … Continued
Qantas Closes Bangkok Lounge
Qantas has permanently closed another of its Qantas Club airport lounges. Qantas Club members and other eligible customers flying from Bangkok are now being redirected to the Louis Tavern CIP Lounge in Concourse G. A number of members believe the change is a detrimental one as the CIP lounge is not up to the same … Continued
Major American AAdvantage Devaluation Coming
American Airlines has announced a major devaluation of its popular AAdvantage frequent flyer program. Among other things, Australian travellers will be most affected by the increased rates for redeeming miles on flights. But the changes go further. American is changing the way members can qualify for elite status, as well as removing some benefits from … Continued
The 750,000 Frequent Flyer Point Dilemma
This week one member faces a highly enviable dilemma. Having accumulated over 750,000 frequent flyer points with Qantas and Virgin, they now wish to spend these points to fly in the luxury of the pointy end of the plane. Naturally, our online community is only too happy to help decide how best to convert those … Continued
Rum, Cigars and Classic Cars: Encountering Cuba
This week’s trip report comes from a part of the world that is attracting increasing attention as a tourist destination. Throughout the past five decades, dictatorship rule and US sanctions have limited Cuba’s development and tourism opportunities. The result is a country where you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d walked into the 1960s; quite a … Continued
Jetstar Business vs Qantas in Economy
Jetstar Business Class is not exactly renowned as a top-notch premium product. But is it worth considering when the price is only a little higher than Qantas’ asking price for a seat in Economy? This is the dilemma faced by one member currently researching flights to Hawaii. Qantas Business Class is too expensive, and our … Continued
First Look: Virgin’s Brand New Perth Terminal
Virgin Australia is moving in Perth! From next Sunday, 22 November, Virgin domestic flights will depart from a brand new domestic pier attached to Terminal 1. This is an extension of Perth’s current international terminal. Our member scottz95 recently got a glimpse of the new terminal ahead of the official opening. This member has generously … Continued
How to Earn American AAdvantage Miles in Australia
There are countless ways to earn frequent flyer points within Australia through our local programs, Qantas and Virgin Velocity Frequent Flyer. Both programs offer a range of linked credit cards and dozens of local retailer partners. This makes the accrual of frequent flyer points relatively easy – even if you’re an infrequent flyer. But there … Continued
Qantas Club Lounge Access Denied
One frustrated Qantas Club member feels their membership has been devalued after they were wrongfully refused entry to a Qantas lounge. But even more concerning is that this issue appears to be systematic. The member was flying on a partner airline but had booked the ticket as a Qantas codeshare. Under the published rules, the … Continued